Houston man charged after dog dies in hot car, police say

Houston – A 23-year-old Houston man has been charged with a felony after his dog died after being left in a hot car for over an hour.

Police say Billy Omer, who was heavily intoxicated, pulled up in front of a house with a dead pitbull inside.

"He just parked his car and left it there and was coming to party and have fun again," she says. "That's the reason I called 911. He was just going to leave it in the car," says Amanda Harding, who witnessed the incident.

While Omer was remorseful when authorities arrived, he gave a shirtless and grinning mug shot which led police to believe he'd been drinking.

"If the dog hadn't suffered, it would've been a misdemeanor. For any kind of recklessness like this deserves a higher charge," says Lt. William Gray with the Galveston Police.